Clasp for string jewelry



Aug. 18, 1936.

B. F. BROGAN 2,051,591

CLASP FOR STRING JEWELRY Filed May 15, 1955 fivvewrae:

BYARD E BR GAN Patented 'Aug. 18, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE I mam Appl cation Ma! 15, ms, Serial Nazis 8 Claims. (01. 24-110) This invention relates to clasps for string jewelry such as necklaces, bracelets and the like.-

In the usual necklace and in many bracelets the ends of'the chain or' string are connected together bya clasp, one part of which constitutes a socket or body Part and is. permanently attached to one end of the chain or string. The

other part is usually made with a hook or spring snap which will fasten or snap into engagement m with the body or socket and is attached to the other end of the chain or string. In such case the clasp parts are directly connected with the ends of the chain or string and must be used together. In clasps of that type the hook or 15 snap usually has a projection extending outside of the contour of the body, for releasing same therefrom.

Furthermore, these hooks and snaps are usually of very light construction, easily broken and 20 often causing loss of thejewelry. Even in so called safety clasps very light pins are sometimes employed for catching the snap in case of accidental release, but any severe tension will break this pin and release the clasp from the body.

.25 One object of the present invention is to pro- A further object is to provide a clasp of simple construction without spring fasteners, and one 40 in which the snaps or connecting members cannot be detached or broken by tension.

According to the invention the clasp for string jewelry comprises a hollow body having on its back an aperture, a slot extending from said 45 aperture to and through the concave end of said body, a spring plate having a raised portion intermediate the aperture and body end and aligned with said slot to provide a restriction, an upturned flange on the end of said spring mem- 50 her forming a seat and having a slotaligned with the slot in the back and end, and a connecting member comprising a ball end, a stem and a shank, said ball end being adapted to be passed into said aperture and drawn toward the 55 body end snapping through the restriction, and

, coming to rest in the flange seat, whereupon the stem is pushed into the slot of the body end which will map the shank into the concavity thereof. i 4

The drawing illustrates an embodiment of said '5 invention and the views therein are as follows:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the ends of a string of beads secured to the improved clasp.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of same.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the clasp body with the connecting members detached.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged bottom plan view with the back wall of the body removed and is taken 0nthe1ine4-4ofFig.5. v

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the clasp on the line l5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the spring plate employed.

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing another type of body member. Fig. 8 isa perspective view of the body of Fig. 7 partly broken away to illustrate the modi-,

fled form 01' spring plate employed. The jeweled body I! shown in Figs. 2 to 5 is of-box-like structure having in addition to the ornamented face side walls l3, end walls 14 and back it forming a hollow interior I].

The back l6 has a central aperture l8 and slots l9 and ,2! leading therefrom to and through the end walls M. The end walls I are slightly so concave as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 forming seats or concavities 22.

Within the hollow interior I! of the body is a spring metal plate 23 which rests against the ornamented face and which is provided with side wings 24 which extend to the back l6, while the contour thereof is the same as thecontour of the side walls I3 so that said spring plate is restrained from movement in said hollow interior.

The spring plate is cut as at 26 and the intermediate material which is aligned with the slots l9 and II is pressed upwardly as at 21 to provide a restriction with the back I 6 of the body.

The ends of the plate are bent upward to form curved flanges I! and these are slotted as at 29, said slots being aligned with slots l9 and 2|.

A connecting member 3| is attached to each end of the bead string or chain by any desired means and this member has a ball end 82, a stem 33, a shank 34 and attaching ring 36. This ball end is slightly greater in diameter than the width of the restriction formed by the pressed portion 2'! and the back of the body. The stem diameter is slightly less than the width of the slots l9 and 55 the connecting members 3|.

Considering Fig. 3, let us assume that it is desired to attach the string of beads to the clasp body: The ball end 32 of the connecting member 3| is passed through the aperture l8 and drawn toward the end wall I. Upon its engaging the pressed up portion 21 a certain tension must be exerted to draw the same over the restriction, whereupon it will seat in the curved flange 28.

The connecting member is now in the position shown at the right in Fig. 5. At this point some tension is required to press the shank 34 over the point 31 oi'f'the end wall H and, thecurved flange 28 will flexed outwardly in such operation. As the shank passes over the point '31 it rests in the concavity 22 of the end wall and the tension exerted by the curved flange 28 will hold it therein. When in this closed position, both ball end and shank are seated with a slight spring tension resisting accidental dislodgement.

The modulus'of elasticity of the metal forming the spring plate 23 and likewise the curved flange 28 is such that the bead string or chain would be broken before said flange would be permanently distorted by tension on the string or chain.

In an ornamental clasp body such as shown in Figs. 1 to 5 only one central aperture is required and the ball ends of both connecting members utilize same. However, with a clasp body of the type shown in Figs. 7 and 8 separate apertures 4| and 42 are required. The slots extending therefrom are like the slots l9 and 2| of Fig. 3,- and both ends of the body are identical.

With the last type of body the metal spring plate is substantially like one half of the plate shown in Fig. 6, except that the side wings 43 are straight and abut the rear wall of the extension a. In order to prevent longitudinal movement of the said plate in the hollow interior, the metal removed for forming the slot 44 may be pressed outwardly into an extension 46 which engages the end wall 41. This end wall is, of course, concave like the end wall I 4.

It will thus be seen that the clasp body or socket of Fig. 8 may readily be attached to the bead string of Fig. 3 in place of the body or socket therein shown.

The clasp illustrated and described herein may, of course, be modified and changed in various ways without departing from the invention herein set forth and hereafter claimed.

The invention is hereby claimed as follows:

1. A clasp for string jewelry comprising a body provided with separate and discrete snap means at each end thereof and in addition thereto, and a cooperating member on each end of the jewelry string for being received and releasably held by said separate means.

2. A clasp for string jewelry comprising a body provided with separate and like snap means at each end thereof, and a cooperating member on each end of the jewelry string for being received into and releasably held in said separate means.

3. A clasp for string jewelry comprising a body provided with separate and like snap means at each end thereof, and a member having a ball and shank on each end of the jewelry string, said 2,051,591 2|. Any number of strings may be provided with I ball being adapted to be received into and releasably held in said separate means.

4. A clasp for string jewelry comprising a hollow body having spring means in each end thereof, the end walls of said body being concave and provided with slots extending from an aperture in the rear wall of said body, and cooperating means on each end of a jewelry string for being releasably held between said spring means and the concave ends'oi' said body.

5. A clasp for string jewelry comprising a hollow body having spring means in each end thereof,'a seat in each end wall of said body, each of said end walls being provided with a slot extending from an aperture in the rear wall of said body,

and cooperating means having a seating part on each end of a jewelry string for being releasably held by said spring means when same rests towards the en'ds thereof whereupon said members are releasably held by said snap means.

7. A clasp for a string jewelry comprising a hollow clasp body, having an aperture in the back thereof, a slot extending from the aperture and through the end wall of said body, a spring plate in said body having a raised portion aligned with said slot and intermediate the aperture and said end wall and forming a restriction with said back, and a flange on said spring plate between said raised portion and said end wall, a slot in said flange aligned with the slot in said back, and a connecting member comprising a stem, a ball on one end and a shank on the other end, said ball adapted to be passed into said aperture, and drawn toward the end wall to snap same across the restriction between said raised portion and said back, and adapted to engage said flange so that when said stem is pushed into the slot in said end wall spring tension will be exerted between said ball and shank.

8. A clasp for string jewelry comprising a hollow clasp body, having an aperture in the back thereof, a slot extending from the aperture and through the end wall of said body, said end wall being slightly concave, a spring plate in said body having a raised portion aligned with said slot and intermediate the aperture and said end wall and forming a restriction with said back, and a flange on said spring plate between said raised portion and said end wall, a slot in said flange aligned with the slot in said back, and a connecting member comprising a stem, a ball on one end and a shank on the other end, said ball 60 adapted to be passed into said aperture, and drawn toward the end wall to snap same across the restriction between said raised portion and said back, and adapted to engage said flange so that when said stem is pushed into the slot in 65 said end wall spring tension will be exerted be tween said ball and shank, with said shank resting in the concavity of said end.

BYARD F. BROGAN. 

